Home collapses after early morning explosion in Milwaukee

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that
supports HTML5 video

Update: 12:00 p.m. on August 9, 2017

Firefighters say they still have a ways to go before they can nail down exactly what caused a house to catch fire and collapse Wednesday morning.

After the flames were put out, the city brought in an excavator to help sort through the rubble. They say at this point, they don’t believe anyone was hurt in the fire and that no one was living in the house.

They still don’t know what caused the giant flames, but battalion Chief Dan Lipski says neighbors reported hearing two loud booms before the fire broke out. He said investigating this fire is a tedious job for his team.

CBS 58 was told the house was under renovation, but officials with the fire departments ay it’s too early to tell if that could’ve led to this fire.

-----

Posted: 7:50 a.m. on August 9, 2017

Milwaukee firefighters rushed out early Wednesday morning to a house fire near 24th Place and Concordia Avenue.

Neighbors say they heard two loud booms just before flames broke out a little before 4:00 AM.

Fire Chief Dan Lipski confirms investigators found evidence of an explosion, but he says they don’t know what caused it yet.

Lipski says the owner was in the process of renovating the house and was not living there. He says it’s too early to tell if renovations led to the explosion.

At one point, flames were shooting up more than 75 feet above the pine tree next to the house. Emergency responders evacuated families from some nearby homes. No one was hurt.

Dozens of firefighters were still on the scene hours later. They were putting out "deep-seeded flames." The city will bring in an excavator to take down what’s left of the house.